Jerry Lynch

It’s fantastic what’s been done - at one time, these docks would have been flattened

Jerry Lynch, who lived off Scotland Road in Liverpool, was 20 years old when he first started to work for Cunard as a dock worker – driving the forklift trucks and cranes. It was a family affair for Jerry as his brother also worked on the docks as a Tug Master Driver.

“The job was much harder and far more technical than people would give it credit for. Today’s modern equipment makes the job so much easier. One moment that always sticks in my mind was when I was driving a straddle carrier and I didn’t see a lump of steel on the ground in front of me. It was the base of a lamp-post that had been knocked down. As I hit it, the straddle carrier tipped and I hung on for dear life. I lived to tell the tale but it was a scary moment.

“It’s fantastic what’s been done here – at one time, these docks would have just been flattened. I came back here for an anniversary meal with my wife and I looked over at the big wheel and couldn’t believe my eyes. It was like a dream – this was actually Albert Dock.”